R.L. Drake

Drake Mods - R4C

Authored by VE3EFJ

3.7 R4C EVOLUTION


    The information contained here is accurate but not necessarily a complete dossier on the R4C as it changed over the years. Updates will be made to this section as additional information is acquired.

    Amongst the 4 series known, Drake spent considerable effort changing the mixers with particular interest in the IF chain following the 1st crystal filter. While no direct measurements have been taken, there appears to be little operational difference between the first in this list and the latter other than the extra filter position and the tapped T7C IF transformer.

    As can be expected, it is considered that the later model is superior to the early model. There is a natural tendency to want to believe that this is true, but practical application does not seem to back this up. One of the attractions for some enthusiasts is the vaccuum tube processing of the RF signal in the belief that the early model dual gate MOSFET is automatically inferior. The fact that all models in the later series have an JFET in the RF chain is somehow strangely irrelevant to this position.

    Some later model R4C receivers may have metal gears in the PTO gearbox instead of nylon.

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